Further Education
by Angelikah
Summary: Sequel to Extra Credit. Series of one-shots and outtakes that follow Caroline's navigation of her early adult life as she and Klaus transition from a relationship that is largely focused on sex to a solid foundation for a lifelong bond.
1. Reassurance

This is a sequel to my other fic Extra Credit. It will be a series of outtakes, not necessarily in chronological order. You can request them on my tumblrs (thetourguidebarbie and onyourkneescaroline).

Thank you for the lovely reviews, follows, and favorites to EC, and I hope you enjoy this.

Dedicated to she-walked-away, accidental-rambler, megansarah11, and howeverlongs (who made the beautiful cover).

* * *

When Klaus walked in the front door, he'd expected to see Caroline curled up in the armchair by the window with a textbook, as she usually was, but by the smell wafting through the air and the sound of bubbling liquid, he could tell she was in the kitchen.

He set his laptop bag on the floor next to the door as fast as he could without actually dropping it, and walked to the kitchen, hoping that it was early enough to rescue whatever she was attempting to make.

Caroline was an excellent baker, but cooking was, for some reason, an entirely different matter.

She was in one of his shirts, flannel pajama shorts peeking out from under the hem, and her hair was slightly mussed, as though she'd been sleeping. Or perhaps just lying down.

"Hello, sweetheart," he said when he walked in, his hand moving to rest against the small of her back as he peered over her shoulder into the pot, relaxing when he saw that it was just pasta. "Are you all right?"

"Can we talk?" she asked abruptly, turning off the burner and facing him, her hands pressed lightly to his chest.

"Of course," he said, and she pushed him away gently so that she could pour the water out of the pasta before she filled two bowls, setting one in front of him and sitting down with the other, twirling a fork in the noodles slowly, not starting to eat.

He waited for a few seconds as she gathered her thoughts. "I want to talk about us."

He stiffened. "What about us?"

It had been two weeks since she'd confessed that she'd been in a relationship since high school with him to her mother, and he knew that she'd felt incredibly guilty about it. They'd had dinner with her the week before, and despite his sterling behavior (if he did say so himself), he also knew that Elizabeth Forbes was less than pleased with what she viewed as his illicit seduction of her only child.

Although, if he was honest with himself, he hadn't exactly expected her to be over the moon.

She set her fork down, a small smile on her face. "Nothing bad. She just had some questions when she called the other day, and it got me thinking..."

"All right," he said cautiously. "Is there something wrong, sweetheart?"

"I just...You're serious about this, right? About me?"

"Of course," he said immediately. "I love you, Caroline. I've told you that."

"Would you want to get married? Eventually, I mean?"

"If that's important to you, then it's important to me," he said diplomatically, and she smiled slightly.

"Not very romantic, are you?"

"I'll have you know that I can be very romantic. I took you out to dinner when you got into NYU."

"First of all, you owned that restaurant, so there really wasn't any planning required. Second, we fucked in the bathroom while you pulled my hair and called me a whore, and I'm not sure that qualifies as 'romantic'."

"You liked it," he said, trying not to sound too defensive.

"Yeah, I also like eating Cheetos in your bed at three in the morning. That doesn't make it romantic."

" _Our_ bed, and I maintain that you're mistaken."

"Prove me wrong."

"I'll take that as a challenge."

"I hoped you would."

"Any other questions?" he asked, trying to get them back on track to their original conversation.

"Yeah. What do you think about kids?"

"I'm not confident that I'd be a good parent, but perhaps we can revisit the subject once you're out of school?"

She nodded. "Okay."

She shifted slightly, curling a piece of hair behind her ear and biting her lip, studying her pasta intently.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Would you still love me if I wasn't willing to be your sub anymore? Would you still want to be with me?"

"Yes," he said firmly, only not having interrupted because he had to wrap his mind around how ridiculous (though honestly objectively quite reasonable) her question was.

She gave him a bright smile.

"Why? Do you want to stop?" he asked, feeling a little bit sick.

Had she only been doing it because she wanted to please him? Was she honestly not interested in it and he somehow hadn't noticed? Did she feel like he was pressuring her?

"No," she said quickly, reaching to press her hand over his, clearly realizing the direction of his thoughts. "I really, really like it. That's not what I meant. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't just...you know..."

"Only with you for sex?" he asked dryly, and she nodded.

"Yeah."

"You know, many people that are in the lifestyle don't actually have sex, and simply-"

"If you stop having sex with me, I will punish you," she interrupted, a smile pulling at her lips, and he gave her a dimpled grin. "I'd love to see you try."

"I'll remember you said that," she warned, waving her fork at him, and he just shrugged.

"If you say so, sweetheart."

 **XXX**

"Caroline, love?" Klaus asked as he walked inside the house, closing the door behind him.

It had been a long day. Ever since he'd moved back to New York and returned to managing his business, he'd had increasingly long days, and consequently less time to spend with Caroline.

Halloween was the next day, so the last few weeks had been a nightmare. They'd had to spend an absurd amount of time deciding whether to house special merchandise or food, and then try to buy enough materials for it without having things left over.

He was looking forward to coming home and spending some time with his girlfriend, preferably time spent naked with her writhing underneath him.

The sound of sizzling and the scent of something delicious wafted from the kitchen, and he smiled, shrugging off his coat and hanging it up before following the smell of food.

After that one time when she burned salad (she still wouldn't tell him how it happened), she'd signed up for a cooking class at one of the local community colleges to transfer in for credit, and she'd taken to it instantly once someone actually explained the basics.

Caroline was standing at the stove in profile, moving the spatula across the pan to cook what looked like stir fry, but not dressed quite the way he expected.

He was used to seeing her in one of his shirts, if she was wearing anything at all, but instead she was wearing a black ruffled dress, tight around her middle but with a loose short skirt, revealing black garters attached to sheer black stockings. An apron was tied around her front, and she looked to shoot him a bright smile. "Hello, Mr. Mikaelson. How was your day?"

"Better, now that I'm home," he said, lingering in the doorway. "That smells wonderful," he said, his eyes glued to her legs.

"Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson."

"May I ask the occasion?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

"The outfit. You look positively delectable, but I don't recall saying that you could wear anything more than my shirt in the house."

"I was hoping we could do something a bit different tonight."

"Well, that's not for you to decide, is it?"

"But, Mr. Mikaelson, you promised we could do something for my birthday."

"Yes, and you told me you hadn't figured out what you wanted."

"Well, I have now. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays."

"Is it?" he asked, his mind conjuring all sorts of role-play situations they could try, though she was wearing one of his favorites already…

She seemed to have followed his train of thought, and she bit her lip, giving him a dose of wide, pleading blue eyes. "Do you trust me, Klaus?" she asked, her voice soft and serious.

"Of course," he said, not even having to think about it.

She smirked. "Why don't you eat while I wash up?"

"You've had dinner?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"Yes. I ate before you got home, Mr. Mikaelson."

He sat down, trying to suspend his instinctive suspicion at Caroline's behavior, and he watched as she bent over just a bit more than was necessary to wash the dishes before she put them in the dishwasher and said she was going to tidy his ('their', he resisted correcting) room.

If that wasn't an invitation, he didn't know what was.

He finished his food in record time, walking into the bedroom and grinning as she pushed him against the door, her lips moving passionately against his.

"Undress me," he ordered between kisses, and she nodded, pulling back to let him steer her to the bed.

"Yes, Mr. Mikaelson," she said, her voice dropping to a tone he associated with unsolicited sexual favors (always welcome, obviously, but generally some sort of bribery).

He sat down and she stood between his legs, unbuttoning his shirt easily and untucking it, helping him shrug it off before falling to her knees and undoing his slacks.

He stared unashamedly down the costume as she did so, and he was achingly hard for her by the time she stroked his cock, her tongue darting out to flick against the tip of him.

"Stop," he ordered, and she pulled back to sit, watching him with hungry eyes as he moved to lie down.

"Come up here with me, sweetheart. I want to see you ride me."

"Yes, Mr. Mikaelson," she said, and he wondered whether she was fighting down a smirk, quickly letting the train of thought go as she straddled him, her garters a stark contrast to her smooth, pale legs, the sheer black stockings the perfect mix of naughty and tempting.

He groaned as she rolled her hips against his erection, the slick skin of her heat heaven against his aching cock.

She stroked him a few times and sank down onto him, and he would blame it on exhaustion later, but he didn't notice as she grabbed his wrists, massaging the skin with her thumbs, and by the time he realized that she'd cuffed him to the headboard, it was too late.

She was still rolling her hips against him, her pussy clenching around him as she moaned, and she squeezed her breasts through her bodice, tugging at her nipples through the fabric.

"Caroline..." he said warningly, and she smirked, her eyes slightly glazed when she opened them to look at him innocently.

"Yes, Mr. Mikaelson?"

He watched as she threw her head back and moaned as he thrusted his hips, hitting her g-spot, her breaths growing ragged.

"Uncuff me," he ordered, and she smirked, reaching down to rub her clit under her skirt as she moved on top of him.

"Remember when you essentially dared me to try to punish you?" she asked, her voice breathless as she moved, clearly bringing herself closer to her release with every roll of her hips, every stroke of her finger against her clit.

"Yes," he ground out, watching her, trying to decide how he'd punish _her_ for this.

It was a very good thing that she enjoyed the soreness she got on her arse when he spanked her, because he fully intended to make it difficult for her to sit comfortably for at least the next day or so.

"Well, I did it."

"I can see that," he ground out, and she just watched him, her teeth sunk into her lower lip. "Uncuff me," he ordered again. "Every time I ask and you do not obey, I will add ten strikes."

She hesitated, clearly debating whether to ask what number they were on now, but seemed to think better of it.

"If you come before you release me, I will add additional punishments as I see fit."

"Sorry, Mr. Mikaelson," she said, bending over him to unshackle him, and he grabbed her wrists flipping them over so he was on top. "You did say you'd like to see it," she pointed out, her lips pulled in a pout, though her eyes were teasing.

"I will not let you come for the next two weeks," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You'll get twenty strikes, and you will count them and thank me for each correction. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get up and bend over the desk," he said, and she scrambled to obey, clearly hoping that he'd go easier on her if she followed his orders perfectly.

He wouldn't, but he did appreciate the effort.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed. Please review and let me know what you thought. :D  
Hugs!  
-Angie


	2. Proposal

Remember, these aren't in chronological order, and some of them will be quite short. Here is the scene where Klaus proposes to Caroline. You can find the ring on my tumblr (thetourguidebarbie). Thank you to Sophie for beta work.

* * *

"How many vacation days do you have, sweetheart?"

"I don't know. I think like, a week. Maybe a week and a half? Why?"

Klaus hummed, stroking her hair as she shifted against him, her body draped over his in their bed.

"Would you be amenable to getting married around July? That way we'd have time for a vacation before your semester starts."

She froze for a fraction of a second, processing his casual proposal. They'd talked about getting married before in abstract terms, but this was the first time he'd brought it up as a concrete future possibility.

She immediately mentally started counting off the things they'd have to do. Was six months enough time?

"Yeah. That should be okay."

"Excellent," he said, pressing his lips to the top of her head before twisting to reach the bedside table, pulling a ring box out of the drawer. "Let me know if you don't like it. I'm happy to return it and get another one."

She took it from him, moving off of him to sit up against the headboard. He followed her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she opened it and smiled, running a finger over the tastefully arranged diamonds. "It's beautiful. Thank you," she said, pecking him on the cheek.

"I had it custom-made," he said, and she tried to hide a grin at how smug he sounded, taking the box she handed him and slipping it on her finger, running his thumb lightly over her knuckle as he pulled away.

"Well, actually, maybe there's a thing or two I'd change..." she said teasingly.

He looked faintly surprised before nodding. "All right. Well, I can see if I can get another appointment, but I believe that the bloke I talked to is busy for the next week or so. What are you thinking about changing? I can see if there might be someone who can do the work on it sooner."

"I'm joking. It's perfect. I really love it."

"You're sure?" he asked hesitantly, and she felt a bit bad for teasing him, since she did love it, and he'd clearly tried to pick something out she'd like.

"Yes. I promise."

"Excellent," he said, back to looking much too happy with himself. "I thought you'd like the symbolism of it."

"Symbolism of what?" she asked, staring down at her finger.

He took her hand in his, reaching to trace the two rows of tiny diamonds that encircled the center stone with his fingertip. "There are nineteen on each of these rows, for the 38 months we've been together."

A slow smile spread across her face. "That's actually really sweet."

"I know."

"Oh my god, get that smug grin off your face," she said, laughing and nudging him with her shoulder, and he chuckled, kissing her temple.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she said, turning to catch his lips with hers.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought :)


	3. Pregnancy: Part I

This is the **part one** of the pregnancy outtakes. I was asked to do a story about Caroline finding out she's pregnant. I only do outtakes that fit with my headcanon for the fic, and this was always the story for EC/FE.

As a reminder, these outtakes are based off requests I get on tumblr, and are therefore not in chronological order.

Thank you to Sophie for beta work.

* * *

"So, my husband and I enjoy BDSM activities. Will that make it harder to conceive?" Caroline asked, trying to fight down the burn she felt in her cheeks.

 _She's a doctor. She's probably heard this before,_ Caroline repeated to herself in her head.

"It shouldn't make a difference as long as you're careful," the doctor said, and Caroline was slightly comforted by the nonjudgmental look on her face. "I'd advise against anything that cuts off any sort of circulation like bondage, and once you do get pregnant I would recommend keeping any activities that involve physical discomfort confined to your buttocks. Obviously nothing to your belly or breasts, especially."

"But anything else?"

"Well, use your best judgment. Nothing too strenuous, and again, keep in mind that if you do end up getting pregnant, your body will become more sensitive, and you may be more emotional."

"Okay," Caroline said slowly. "Thanks."

"Of course. You can always call with more specific questions if you have them."

 **XXX**

Caroline sighed, throwing the pregnancy test in the garbage can and getting up, rubbing her face with her palms. She smoothed her hair and walked back into the bedroom, the sound of the door closing behind her making Klaus look up from his laptop and setting it aside. "How'd it go, sweetheart?"

"Nope," she said, sliding into bed beside him and laying her head on his shoulder. "Do you think there's something wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you," he said immediately, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her upper arm. "As I recall you saying for the first six months, you read a scientific study that said it's not abnormal to take a year, or even a bit longer. We can always look into medical procedures if you'd like, or even adopt or get a surrogate if we keep having trouble."

She sniffled. "I don't get why this is so hard. Katherine's had like, three pregnancy scares and she and Elijah don't even want kids, and we've been trying for what, sixteen months?"

"Just about," he said, nodding. "You know what the doctor said, though-"

"Yeah, if I stop stressing it'll be more likely to happen," she interrupted impatiently. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to not be stressed about this."

"We have plenty of time, Caroline. You're only twenty-six."

"I know," she said, cuddling closer and burying her face in his neck, her voice muffled.

"We'll just have to keep trying."

She inhaled his scent, snuggling closer until he chuckled and laid down, pulling her back against his front, and she closed her eyes as he kissed the top of her head. Affection like this from him had been rare in the beginning, but once she'd admitted that she wanted it during their aftercare as reassurance (and more in general), he'd started doing it more often. He had become more responsive to her need for affection over the last few months as she clearly became more upset with being unable to conceive, and she appreciated his attempts to meet her needs for extra comfort.

Still, he'd been initiating sex less and less as she'd started to get more stressed. He was all too happy to do it when she initiated, but she couldn't help but wonder whether he was losing interest.

He reassured her with every heated look, every brush of his fingers against her skin, that he was in love with her, but love didn't necessarily equal attraction, and it made her nervous that he was pulling back.

"Do you not want me as your sub anymore?" she asked, the question somehow easier to ask when she wasn't looking at him.

Klaus stiffened, silent for a few seconds, and she turned around in his arms to look at him. He looked so genuinely incredulous that she nearly smiled. " _What_?" he managed.

"I mean, you used to text me most days with how you wanted me when you got home, but you don't do it anymore unless I ask. You haven't called me to your office for a 'lunch' in weeks. And yeah, the vanilla sex we're having is great and everything, but it seems like you're losing interest in the kinky stuff," she said, voice shaking slightly, words speeding up as she spoke them, and her heart was pounding nervously in her chest. "And I mean, if you are, that's fine, but is it something I did? Because if you don't want..." she trailed off at the look on his face, which was somewhere between horrified and confused.

"Oh, Caroline," he breathed, pulling her to him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "No, that's not...I just...I know you've been upset lately, and you've said that you wanted comfort, and I didn't want to pressure you into something you didn't feel emotionally comfortable with."

"No, I miss playing," she said quietly, closing her eyes in contentment as he rubbed her back lightly. "It makes me feel good to feel wanted, Klaus. Like, when you text me in the middle of the day to tell me you want me to wait for you naked in our bed until you get home, that means you're thinking about me, and I like knowing that you want me that much. I mean, maybe it's silly, but-"

"It's not," he said quickly. "It's not silly at all, sweetheart. I like knowing that you're waiting for me, too."

She couldn't help but smile, slinging her leg over his hip, just needing to press as close to him as she could, wanting every inch of her skin to touch his.

"So you're not upset that we kind of have to take a pause on the hard stuff?"

Over the years, they'd experimented with different things, some she liked (roleplay, sexting, spanking with things that weren't his hand when she was _extra_ bad), and some she agreed to try but refused to do ever again (nipple clamps, gags). After the doctor said that a lot of the harder play that they did could be harmful for a baby if she were to finally get pregnant, they'd been abstaining from most of the physical things they usually did.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling back, his hand making soothing circles on her lower back. "I love the way you give your body to me, but I've always craved your loyalty more. When you trust me with your feelings, your mind, that's what means the most to me. Do I enjoy imagining you writhing on the mattress with a toy inside of you for an hour while you wait for me to come home and let you take it out? Of course, but what's sexy about it to me is that you're giving me your trust and control and allowing me to dictate certain things about your life."

He'd said as much before, although never quite as bluntly, and she hummed in agreement.

"That's what makes it hot for me too," she said, and she felt him smile against her hair. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it lately."

"Oh, is that so?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low tone that made shots of arousal hit her lower belly. "Even now?"

His cock twitched against her thigh, and his hand slid from her lower back to squeeze her ass before moving to rub her pussy through her shorts with the heel of his palm and _god_ , she'd missed this...

"Yes," she breathed through half-lidded eyes, rolling her hips against his hand.

He gave her a wicked grin. "Were you fantasizing about how it felt when I spanked you, Caroline? Wishing that you could please your master with your body? Do you crave the way I used to tie you up and leave you spread out and waiting for me for hours until your wetness soaked the sheets beneath you?" he said cajolingly. "The doctor advised against bondage, but I'm sure that you're perfectly capable of keeping your hands where they're supposed to be. If you're not, then I'm positive that I could come up with an adequate incentive for you to do so."

"Klaus..." she whined, shifting in his lap as the too-familiar ache began to build in her center.

He tangled his fingers in her hair, tugging lightly to guide her head back so that he could kiss her, his tongue pushing inside of her mouth. She moaned softly into his mouth, enjoying the feel of his hands on her body, how he held her so possessively in his arms. He pulled back to speak between rough possessive kisses as he pressed her on her back, balancing himself on his elbows looming over her.

"I think you do. You miss being my pretty slut, don't you sweetheart? You miss kneeling at my feet with your wrists bound behind your back as I read while your cheeks burn, waiting like a good girl for me to touch you."

"Yes," she said, slightly breathless already as he dragged the tips of his fingers under the waistband of her cotton shorts, stroking her skin.

"Yes, what?" he asked sharply, the agreed indication that they were going into an impromptu scene, and her opportunity to either address him correctly for play or say 'not now'.

She felt the normal adrenaline fill her that always came when they began, the mental preparation for falling into her role only taking a few moments before she relaxed into his arms completely. "Yes, sir."

"Tomorrow we can try a different way," he said softly, his voice full of heated promise as he reached to run a knuckle down her cheekbone. "We'll put the previous rules in place. I'll text you when I'm on my way home, and I'd like you to wait for me on your knees by the couch with your hands behind your back. If you move them, you won't be allowed to come. Does that sound like an adequate substitute?"

"Yes, sir," she said softly, letting out a soft moan as he raked his fingernails lightly across her ass, rubbing her thighs together to try to soothe the growing ache between them.

"I've enjoyed how eager you are for my cock for the last few months, how you spread your legs for me at every opportunity and beg me to fuck you. I do enjoy indulging you, love, but perhaps you need reminding of who you belong to, of who allows you that pleasure. We both know that I'll want you no matter the circumstances, but perhaps I've been too intent on making sure you know how much. Have I been spoiling you with my attentions, sweetheart?"

"Every touch that isn't a reward is spoiling me, sir," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully, and he chuckled, his fingers running through her hair as his other hand traced the waistband of her shorts.

"You know just what to say to get what you want, don't you, sweetheart?" he said, his tone affectionate, though she chose to interpret the question as a rhetorical one.

His hand had slid under the fabric of her shorts, the tips of them just reaching her folds, and he slowly dragged his fingertip down her slit, making her shiver.

"Lift your hips," he ordered, and she did as he asked, kicking her shorts off once he'd slid them down to her calves, her lower half now bare to him. She spread her legs without prompting, and he let his fingers ghost across the flesh of her hip and down her pelvic bone, teasing her. She parted her legs for him as he approached the apex of the thighs, gasping when he pressed the tip of his finger against her entrance, not quite pushing inside. She rolled her hips to gain friction and he pulled back, ignoring her soft whine of protest.

"Tell me what you are."

"Yours," she said, one of her hands curled into his henley, using the other to brace herself on the mattress as he stroked the inside of her thigh. Her body was _alive,_ every inch of her craving his touch, his hum of satisfaction when she pleased him, his wanting gaze when it raked down her body...

"Please," she breathed, her head tipping back as she moaned, two of his fingers pressing inside of her soaking entrance as his other arm curled around her back to support her body, his cock hard and throbbing against her hip.

"Good girl," he praised, his thumb brushing over her clit, making her gasp as her eyes closed. "For as long as I own you, you will be mine to do with as I please. If it's unsafe for you if I paint your arse red with my hand, I will find an alternate source of punishment when you've disobeyed me. If your normal rewards are ill-advised, we'll come up with new ones. Do you understand?"

She nodded, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she rolled her hips, chasing her release. "That feels so good," she panted, and his lips brushed against her forehead as he pressed his thumb against her clit until her legs trembled, tipping her over the edge.

"That's right, sweetheart. Just like that," he said, fingerfucking her through her high as she moaned for him before pulling his fingers away and holding them to her lips. "Clean them."

She sucked her arousal away, darting her tongue along his fingertips just to see his jaw clench, his cock throbbing against her ass. "Undress, lie back, and spread your legs," he ordered, pushing her gently to encourage her off of him, and she obeyed, throwing her tank top on the floor and moaning as he climbed on top of her, his cock pressing against her entrance.

"Please, Sir," she breathed, her nipples pebbling from the cool air, back arching, and she felt him smile against her cheek as he pushed inside of her, her walls clenching around him as he filled her.

He began to move, her body quivering underneath his as he found her g-spot, beginning to hit it with every slow thrust of his hips, the ache tightening in her lower belly again. She writhed beneath him as he told her how he couldn't wait to see her skin more sensitive to his touch, how he wondered whether she'd be even more desperate for his cock if her sex drive went up, and if it didn't, she could find other ways to please him, he was sure. He called her filthy names as his nails raked down her legs, demanding that she beg him if she wanted to come again.

Maybe she did miss his palm landing on her ass while her hands were tied behind her back, but there was something to be said for her nails digging into the sheets as he watched her flushed face with no small amount of wonder in his eyes.

 **XXX**

Caroline took a deep breath as she sat in the bathroom, staring at the timer as it counted down the seconds.

She'd been told after some more testing that she had a blockage in her fallopian tubes. Her doctor had quickly assured her that no, she did not have an STD, and no, it wasn't a side effect of her and Klaus's sex life.

She'd had a ruptured appendix when she was fourteen. The stomach flu had been going around and her mom told her to sleep it off, thinking she was being overdramatic about being sick. Needless to say, it had not been slept off, and the rupture damaged her fallopian tubes, which meant that she couldn't conceive without medical procedures.

After a month and a lot of nail-biting and handwringing, Caroline had decided to look into in vitro fertilization. They'd gone to the hospital a few weeks before, and she'd been putting off doing the pregnancy test, not wanting to be disappointed.

The timer beeped and she picked up the test, staring at it for a second as her heart dropped. She walked back into their bedroom and flopped down onto the bed, curling to face Klaus, who had been flat on his back, writing emails on his phone.

"No?" he asked, looking at her when she let out a small sniffle.

She shook her head. "No."

"We can try again. Sometimes it takes a few rounds. They told us that."

"It's so expensive, though. Insurance won't pay for it."

"We have money."

"Klaus, we're not going to spend $50,000 on like, five rounds of medical treatments when we can get a surrogate," she said tiredly.

"Those cost money too, love," he reminded her, and she made a sound of agreement.

"Yeah, but it also means that I won't have to go through the process a bajillion more times, and it has a much higher success rate on the first try. And it might be a lot less stressful, since I won't have to get my hopes up every time I take a test."

He reached to stroke her hair as she moved slightly closer to press herself against him, burying her face in his shoulder. "If that's what you want."

She nodded against him, his hand moving to rub soothing circles on her back. "Yeah. I think so."

They laid in silence for a few seconds before Caroline pulled back. "I totally suffered through like, years of zits and cramps from my IUD for nothing," she grumbled, and Klaus snorted.

"Well, to be fair we didn't exactly have any way of knowing."

"True, but it still sucked," she said, snuggling back into him. "I blame you."

"Hmm, is that some disrespectful language I'm detecting?" his voice had taken a different tone, low and deceptively calm, and she felt heat build in her core as his hand trailed down her spine, her body no longer tired, her skin prickling with need.

"That depends, are you going to punish me?" she asked, her voice slightly breathy, and he smirked.

"Do you think you deserve it?"

"Oh, I've been a very bad girl, Mr. Mikaelson," she said, unable to keep herself from laughing at the cheesiness of the sentence, and he rolled his eyes, pulling her against him, his nose buried in her hair.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. This is a topic that I feel really strongly about, and I know that other people will probably be very upset with the direction I chose to go. However, I feel that infertility and struggles with conceiving are things that aren't talked about often, and I believe that they should be.

Caroline **will not** get pregnant in this story.

If you'd like to talk about the more or have me explain my reasoning, you're welcome to do so on my tumblr, which is thetourguidebarbie.

Please let me know your thoughts. I live for feedback :)

Hugs!  
\- Angie


	4. Pregnancy: Part II

I have had this in my drafts for literally almost a year and just realized I never posted it. Oops.

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The first time Caroline had met Hayley four years before, she hadn't been a fan.

Klaus had been cornered by his aunt at the appetizer table for his brother's wedding, and Caroline had taken the opportunity to use the restroom, a girl texting on her phone almost plowing into her on her way. The brunette hadn't apologized, simply sparing her a quick glance and moving on.

When Caroline had returned to the party, she saw her giving Klaus a huge hug and a bright smile. Now, after the whole Katherine incident Caroline had promised both him and herself to not overreact, and when she walked over, Klaus gave her a dimpled smile and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Caroline, love, this is Hayley, my cousin."

"Your _favorite_ cousin," Hayley said, making Klaus scoff.

"It's nice to meet you," Caroline said uncomfortably, and Hayley shook her hand, the look she gave her oddly calculating before she nodded.

"You too."

Klaus seemed to sense the tension, and he shot Caroline a raised eyebrow before excusing them and pulling her to the dance floor. "What was that about, love?"

"She bumped into me on the way to the bathroom and didn't apologize," Caroline said, knowing there was no way she could make it sound less petty, and Klaus snorted, seeming to agree. "I didn't say anything rude to her," she added defensively.

"I never said you did."

"You were thinking it."

"Perhaps, but if you had, I'm sure that had you said something it would have been deserved. Hayley can be a bit of a handful."

"Seems like it."

"She'll grow on you," he assured her. "She's just a bit abrasive."

"Is she like, from Australia or something?"

He snorted. "No. She's an aspiring actress. Very method. Been getting 'in character' for an indie film she's doing for the last month or so. Her accent is still atrocious, but no one's had the heart to tell her."

Caroline had giggled a bit at that, letting Klaus spin her around the dance floor for a few songs before he excused himself, and Hayley had sought her out, apologized for the bump in the hallway, and they'd gotten to chatting.

It had been awkward at first, and when Hayley had moved to New York to live with her boyfriend Jackson, she'd come over once a week for dinner. She and Jackson had broken up soon after, but she'd moved into an apartment with a roommate (a psych major named Camille, who Caroline was glad she'd never met from the way Hayley complained about her).

The girls had grown from awkward acquaintances to friends (though never quite as close as Klaus probably would have liked).

It was at one such dinner that Hayley had asked how 'the whole baby thing' was going, and Klaus said that they'd been considering surrogacy or adoption. Hayley nodded, pushing around the pasta with her fork before taking a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

"I mean, if you decide on getting a surrogate I'd be willing to do it," she said after she swallowed.

"Really?" Caroline asked skeptically. "What about your job?"

Hayley was grossly overpaid from a part she'd landed on a television show, and her role mostly involved being a hot but boring love interest for the two 'complex' male protagonists. Hence, a pregnancy might be a bit difficult to write in.

However, she didn't look too concerned, shrugging and tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Can you keep a secret?"

Caroline and Klaus stared at her for a second, not speaking, and Hayley rolled her eyes. "Right, sorry. I always forget that you were secretly fucking when he was your teacher. Thanks for reminding me; I love a good dose of nausea while eating."

Caroline snorted.

"Anyway," Hayley continued. "I'm getting killed off at the end of the season."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Caroline said immediately, and Hayley shrugged.

"I kind of knew it was coming. The show is nosediving in ratings. I'm planning on going to school in the fall, actually."

"Congratulations," Klaus said, and Hayley nodded, smiling.

"Thanks. Anyway, I know that this is important to you guys, and knowing you, you're probably looking at every miniscule piece of information about potential surrogates and stressing about it. If you'd rather I don't do it, that's obviously fine, but I'm just putting the option out."

"Thanks! We'll definitely think about it," Caroline said, unable to keep the relief from her voice.

 **XXX**

There was a lot more to surrogacy than just taking Caroline's egg, sticking it in Hayley's body, and crossing their fingers, as it turned out. Contracts had to be signed (luckily Elijah had a friend that could do it for free), and there were quite a few more hoops to jump through.

Now, though, Caroline was twisting her hands nervously on the couch, tucked into Klaus's side as she stared at the timer on the coffee table. Hayley was on the nearby chair, flipping through apps on her phone, and when the timer went off, Hayley pulled the stick out and looked at it before turning it so Caroline could see, the digital letters spelling out 'YES' clear on the screen.

"Excellent," Klaus said, watching Caroline with amusement as she bounced in her seat, and she turned to him.

"We're going to be parents," she said excitedly, and he laughed quietly.

"Yes, I can see the test."

"Aren't you happy?"

"Yes," he said, smoothing her hair affectionately, his fingers tugging lightly at the ends as he drank her in, though she could still sense the hesitance.

"I know that you're nervous about it, but I think you'll be a good dad."

"I'll do my best, sweetheart."

She smiled, kissing him again. "I know. I love you."

"And I, you."

"So, um, do you want me to leave you alone for a few?" Hayley asked, interrupting the moment, and Caroline flushed, pulling back.

"Sorry. Thank you so much Hayley. You have no idea how much this means to us, and—"

"Really, I'm happy to do it," Hayley said, getting up and opening her arms for Caroline to hug her. "I promise that I'll keep you guys up to date on appointments and everything, and make sure you can make them."

"Thank you. Are you sure you don't want dinner or anything?"

"No, it's fine," Hayley said, reaching for her bag. "I actually have a test tomorrow that I should be studying for."

"Don't stress too much," Caroline said immediately, and Hayley snorted.

"I'll try," she said, throwing her bag over her shoulder and giving Klaus a one-armed hug. "I'll see you Sunday?"

"Yeah," Caroline agreed, walking her out and giving her one last hug before turning to Klaus after closing the door. "I'm so excited," she said again.

"I know, sweetheart."

She gave him a brilliant smile and walked over, hugging him and burying her face in his neck, inhaling his scent. He wrapped his arms around her, the warmth of his body wrapped around hers making hum in contentment before she moved to kiss him lightly on the jaw. "What do you want for dinner?"

He bent to nip her ear, his tongue flicking against the hollow of it, making her shiver, and she moaned as he began to lick and suck at her jaw, speaking between the movements of his tongue and lips against her skin.

"I want you naked and kneeling for me in the sitting room while I take you from behind, and then perhaps if you're a good girl for me we can go out to eat."

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Hope you like it! Please review and let me know what you think :)

Hugs!


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